Lifting device for handling convection spacer disks



Feb. 8, 1955 M. R. HEPPENSTALL 2,701,735

I..IFTING DEVICE FOR HANDLING CONVECTION SPACER DISKS Filed Dec. l8, 1953 s sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 8, 1955 M. R. HEPPENSTALL 'LIFTING DEVICE FOR HANDLING CONVECTION SPACER DISKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1953 INVENTOR. MAX x/zfi iA/smu Feb. 8, 1955 M. R.- HEPPENSTALL LIFTING DEVICE FOR HANDLING CONVECTION SPACER DISKS Filed Dec;

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

1 2 l/ffiPE/V574ZA BY @M 41 wa e/W Unie LIFTIN G DEVICE .FOR; DLING CONVECTION SPACER DISKS The present invention relates to a lifting device for handling convection spacer'discs.

Inthe steel industry sheet strip steelis normally rolled into coils at the rolling mill; For purposes-of heat treatment, these coils are placed one above the other in stacks, and a'disc called aconvection spacer disc is placed between each coil of strip steelin the stack. These convection spacer discs are provided with radially extending ribs which permit movement of "air through the discs to transfer heat byconvection.

In building up a stack itv is necessary to put in place a coil of strip, place a spacer disc on top of the coil, place a coil of strip ontop of the spacer. disc, and so on until the stack is built up towthezdesired height.- To facilitate this building up ofa stack the lifting device of the invention is provided with controls which permit it to drop off. a single spacer disc fromthebottom of'a pile of spacer discs carried by the lifting device.

In taking down. a stack, the device is providedwith controls which permit it to pick up a single disc and add it'to the bottom of a pile of spacer discs carried by the lifting device.

The controls of the device may. also be setso asto deposit the entire pile ofspacer. discs that were being carriedby the lifting device.

These and other objects ofthe-inventionwill become apparent as the description proceeds.

In. the, drawings:

Fig. 1' is a side elevation online II' of. Fig. 2 of the lifting device of the invention being used to deposit a convection spacer disc on a coil .of' rolled strip steel..

Fig. '2' is a top plan view of'the, device of Fig.1, parts being broken away to show the coil of steel strip.

Fig. 3' is a detailed diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the device in depositing a singlespacer disc on.a coil.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views-similar to Fig, 3" but showing the parts. in different operating positions.

Figs. 6 and 7'. are views quite similar to' Fig. 3 but showing diiferent types of operation ofv the lifting-device.

Referring to the drawings more. particularly 'the reference character 1.0 represents a coillof steelstrip and 11 are convection spacer discs providedwit'h radially extending .ribs. 12. (See Figs; 1' and.2.)

The lifting device includes a-head"13 from which extend downwardly plates 14 which formchannels to receive the operatingmembers; A lifting link-[liattached to the head: 13'provides means. by which the: lifting device may be attached'toa crane-or'othercarryingmechanism. The construction of the head13 will not.be given indetailsincevarious mechanical arrangements can be. used for this part of the structure.

A pair. of the plates-14 are spaced parallel to' each other to form a channel asindicatedin Fig: 2', andthere are preferably three of these-channels spacedsymmetrically about'the circumference-of the lifting device; The

plates l l'are preferably welded=orotherwise secured' together and to thehead 18; so as to-provide a strong, unitary body. The downwardextensions-formedby the plates 14' may be -considereda mandrel; which is adapted to' extend into the openings in the convectionspacer'discsand also-into the central openings in the-coilsgof sheet steel:

At the lower end of each of the channels formed by the plates 14, a guide shoe- 16'is pivoted on a pin 17.

An. operating link lit-has oneend pivotedto; an innerextension of the guide. shoe, and its: other: end. to an operating plate 19.carried at thelower. end. of operating rodZtl. A stop pin 21 limits.outwazrdmovemenhof, the guide. shoe. Below the guide shoes.16the.plates 14 are tapered. inwardly so as to. fonnaiblunt. taperedpoint for:

the mandrel.

States Patent 0 The function of the guide shoes 16'- is. to guide and accurately center the-mandrel within theopening in=the convection discs or the:c.oil of stripsteel. Thus when the mandrel is loweredinto the. annular opening in a stack of convection spaced discs'or intothe-opening in a coil of strip steel; the tapered surfaces; 22 provide=a rough guide to guide thezmandrel into. the opening and then the guide shoes. 16, which. are then in their. outwardly. extended .position, engage.- the. edge .of' the opening and serve to accurately center the. mandrel within. the opening so as to permit the operating parts to properly engage the convection spacer disc, as will subsequently be explained.

In order to permit the liftingdevice to engage and lift the convection spacer. discs, each of the'channels provided by members 14 is furnished with: alatching dog 23 swinging on apivot pin 24. The latching dogsare controlled by operating mechanism Whichpermits them to raise an entire-stack of convectionspacer discsorto deposit. the disc atthe'bottom of the stack on top of a coil 10 of sheet steel. Themechanismfor operating these latching dogs. will now bedescribed in detail..

Each latching dog is in the fornmof an L-shaped, bell crank lever having a horizontal-leg25 and a vertical leg 26. Extendingoutwardly'from thevertical leg isa.lip 27 which is adapted to engage under the. convectionspacing disc. The vertical leg also carries a vertically extending-catch 28 which engages stop pin 29-to limitoutward movement of thelatching dog.

The operating cam forthelatching dog-is-inthe shape of an L-shaped lever which is pivoted on the pivot. pin 29 and has a horizontal; leg-30. and a verticalleg 31. The outer surface of the-vertical leg 31 is curved. for a purpose presently. to be described.

While only one latching dog 231andiits operating parts has been mentioned in order.- to simplify the description, it should bev understoodthat there a. latching dogv .23 mounted ineach. of. .the;channels.formed. by. the.- plates 14.

A yieldable operatingconnection is provided between the horizontal leg 300i the .operating camand thehorizontal leg 25 of the latching-dog- This yieldingconnection includes aycke 32v (Big. .3) whichdsconnected: to horizontal leg 30 by thepivot pin 3.3. A bolt34 extends through the bottomof the yoke-and is pivoted to the arm 25 by pivot pin 35. Acornpression spring 36v is mounted between the head of the.bolt.and.the. bottom of the.- yoke.

Mechanism, is provided.- to control the; latching-.dog. For thispurpose, aninner. sleeve:3.7. surrounds the=opcrating rod 20 and carries a detent..38.. Theupper. end of the inner sleeve 3.7. carries an operating: member 39 which is pivoted at 40 -to a lever arm 41; Thefioperation and control of. lever, arm 41. will. be. described. shortly.

The. upper end. of. theouten sleeves42 carries an operating yoke. 44 which 1 has a. pivotal, connection: 45.. with. the lever; arm- 46.. The. lower end. of. sleet/e42. carries a detent .43, which controls .theoperatingcam. Theoperation'and rcontrol vof lever. arm 46. .will be.describedshortly.

The operative positionsof .the innerssleevefiland outer sleeve 24 are. determined by. a cam 47. which .is; rotatabl -on.ashaftl48. mounted on the. head 13 and rotatableaby means of a crank handle 49. (See Figs. 1 andz2.): While in Fig. 3. only'onele'verarm .41; shows, there: arezactually twolevers "4.1, asmay. heseenfromfig. 2.. A roller 50 rotatably. mounted between the lever -arms. 41 attone. end is-adapted to ,cooperate with ;the carn,.47, and the. opposite tigds .of the; lever. arms 41 ar.e, pivoted. at. 5.1 .on the. head Sir'nilarly, -aroller .52.. is. mounted; between,v the. lever arms 46 for oooperationwithtthe cam.47.' The/opposite ends-.of the lever. arms. lfi carry. the pivot 45 WhlChpCO- operates with the operating.- ioke. 44.. 'Thelever. arms 46' are pivoted at a point intermediate their lengthon pivot 53 mounted on the head 13.

The kidney-shaped cam- 47 is provided with dwells which are adapted ,to receive, therollers 50 -and-,52. The different positions of thiscam permit different operations of the lifting device as follows:

in Figs. l'to 5, inclusive (which may be called position A),

the parts are so disposed that the lifting device will deposit the bottom one of a pile of convection spacer discs being carried by the lifting device. The operation of the lifting device in depositing the bottom disc from the pile carried by the lifting device, is as follows:

In this position the guide shoes 16 are in their outwardly extending positions. This is due to the fact that the operating rod is not being lifted upwardly by lever 46 and hence the downward weight of rod 20 and related parts pulls downwardly on the operating link 18 which in turn pushes the shoe 16 to its outer extended position. These shoes will, therefore, serve to guide and accurately center the lifting device as it moves downwardly in the cylindrical opening inside the coil 14) of sheet steel.

In the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the latching dogs 23 are in their outer position with lips 27 engaged under the lowermost convection spacer disc. While the pile of spacer discs is being carried and transported by the lifting device, the weight of the stack of discs on the lips 27 holds the latching dogs in their outer position. However, as the handling device is lowered into the cylindrical opening of the coil 10 of strip steel, the lower spacing disc engages the upper surface of the coil 1t and the handling device continues its downward move ment, thereby relieving the lifting dogs of the weight of the pile of spacer discs. When the lifting dogs 23 are relieved of this weight they immediately snap inwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 4. At the same time the vertical leg 31 of the operating cam moves outwardly to the position of Fig. 4.

The movement just described of the latching dogs 23 and operating cams is due to the fact that the major portion of the mass of the latching dogs 23 and of the operating cams is inwardly (that is to the right side as viewed in Fig. 3) from the pivots 23 and 29, so that these parts are biased by gravity to the position of Fig. 4.

The latching dogs 23 are now retracted so that the entire lifting device can be moved upwardly from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 5. During this movement the latching dogs by-pass the bottom spacer disc. When the parts reach the position of Fig. 5, the outer curved or cam surface of the vertical leg 31 of the operating cam engages the inner periphery of the lowermost spacing disc. The inner edge of the spacing disc therefore presses inwardly on the vertical leg 31 of the operating cam, thereby causing the lip 27 of the latching dog to move outwardly and engage under the next to the bottom of the convection spacer discs. This outward movement of the lip 27 is due to the fact that upward movement of the horizontal arm of the operating cam pulls upwardly on the yielding connection, which includes the bolt 34, thus pulling upwardly on the horizontal arm of the latching dog and causing the vertical arm to move outwardly.

In this way the latching dogs are moved past the lowermost of the spacer discs but are caused to engage under the next-to-the-bottom of the spacer discs, thereby lifting the entire pile except for the bottom spacer disc which is left in place on top of the coil 10 of sheet steel.

In normal operation the pile of spacer discs is now moved by the lifting device out of the way and a second coil 10 is placed on top of the spacer disc which has just been deposited. The operation is then repeated so that a single spacing disc is deposited between each pair of coils 10, to build up the stack of coils 10 to the de' sired height.

As the lifting device is moved upwardly past the disc that has just been deposited on a coil 10, the inner periphery of the disc will engage the upper surface of the guide shoes 16 and this pressure is sufiicient to move the guide shoes downwardly and inwardly to permit them to move past the disc. This is due to the fact that the distance from the pivot 17 to the outer edge of the guide shoe provides a relatively long lever arm and thus provides sufficient leverage to pull upwardly on the links 18 and pgrmiihe inward and downward swinging of the guide s cc Position B of cam 47 (pick up one or more) .position of Fig. 6, the shaft 48 on which cam 47 is.

mounted has been rotated counterclockwise for 90 to bring the long axis of the kidney-shaped cam 47 to the vertical position. During this movement of the cam, there is no movement of lever arm 41 because the roller 50 on the outer end of arm 41 is kept at the same distance from the axis of shaft 48. The outer end of shaft 46, however, is moved downwardly because the roller 52 is now at a greater distance from the axis of shaft 48 than it was in Fig. 3.

This downward movement of roller 52 causes levers 46 to swing about the pivot 53, thus pushing upwardly on the yoke 44, which carries with it the outer sleeve 42 and the detent 43. The detent 43 is now engaged under the horizontal leg 30 of the operating cam, thus locking the operating cam in its inward or retracted position.

With the parts in this position, the lip 27 of the latching dog is in its outer or extended position. As the lifting device is lowered down through a stack of convection discs, the latching dog is pressed inwardly by its lower inclined surface engaging with the inner edge of a disc, the inward movement of the latching dog being permitted by the yielding of spring 36. As it passes each disc, the lip 27 snaps outwardly so that after it has passed the lowermost of the spacing discs it is in a position to lift the entire stack of discs. Hence, in this position the lifting device can pick up the discs one at a time, as the stack of coils is being taken down, or it can pick up a pile of discs.

When the cam 47 was moved to the position of Fig. 6, it also caused the guide shoe 16 to move to its inward retracted position. This movement is caused by upward movement of the operating yoke 44 pushing upwardly on the lower end of vertical arm 55 which is attached to the upper end of the operating rod 20. The corresponding upward movement of operating plate 19 pushes upwardly on the inner arm of guide shoe 16 causing the main body of the guide shoe to swing from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 6.

Position C of cam 47 (full discharge position) Fig. 7 illustrates the position C of the cam 47 in which the parts are so set that when the weight of the load of convection spacer discs, whether it be one disc or a plurality of discs, is deposited on top of a coil of sheet steel, thus relieving the latching dogs of the weight of the load, these latching dogs move inwardly permitting the lifting device to be entirely disengaged and raised upwardly through the convection spacer discs.

It will be noted that in moving from the position of Fig. 6 to the position of Fig. 7, the shaft 48 has been rotated counterclockwise During this movement there is no change in the position'of roller 52 since the cam maintains it at the same distance from the axis of shaft 48. However, the dwell of cam 47 that is now in position to receive the roller 50 is closer to the axis 48 than it was in Fig. 6. Normally the cam is moved to the position of Fig. 7 while the lifting device is carrying a stack of spacer discs with the weight of the discs carried by the latching dogs 27, as shown in Fig. 6. While the weight of the stack of discs is on the lips 27 of the latching dogs, there can be no downward movement of roller 50 because the horizontal arm 25 of the latching dog is engaged under the operating plate 38 attached to sleeve 37. Hence, sleeve 37 and the parts connected with it are held in the same position they occupy in Fig. 6.

However, as soon as the weight of the stack of spacer discs is lifted from the dogs 27 the weight of sleeve 37 and attached parts presses downwardly on the inner leg 25 of the latching dog, thereby swinging inwardly the lip 27 of the latching dog to its retracted position of Fig. 7. Position C of cam 47 permits this downward movement of the outer sleeve 37, since the dwell for receiving the roller 50 is now closer to the axis 48 than it was in Fig. 6.

When the parts are in the position of Fig. 7, the guide shoe 16 is held in its inward or retracted position because the lever arm 46 is in the same position it was in Fig. 6.

Conclusion It will be clear from the above description that the lifting device of the present invention provides a convenient means for handling convection spacer discs in building up, or taking down, a stack of coils of strip steel.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the sc :pe of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

1. A lifting device for handling dlSCS whlch comprises: a head provided with a lifting connection, a mandrel depending from the head and provlded with a plurality of channels, each of the channels having p voted therein a latching dog movable from an outer pos tion in WhlCh it is adapted to engage under a disc, to an inner inoperative position in which it will pass through the opening 1n a disc, an operating cam for each latching dog, the operating cam being pivoted in the channel and being connected to the latching dog, a guide shoe pivoted 1n each of the channels, a manually-operated cam mounted on the head, and means controlled by the manually-operated cam for controlling movement of the latching dogs, the operating cams and the guide shoes.

2. A lifting device for handling discs which comprises: a mandrel for insertion in the cylindrical opening in a coil of strip material, a plurality of latching dogs pivoted on the mandrel, each latching dog being movable from an outer position in which it is adapted to engage under a disc, to an inner inoperative positlon in which it w1ll pass through the opening in a disc, an operating cam for each latching dog, the operating cam being plvoted on the mandrel and having a vertical leg adapted to engage the inner periphery of a disc, and a horizontal leg connected to the latching dog, the operating cam being connected to cause the latching dog to move outwardly when the vertical leg of the operating cam engages the inner eri her of a disc. p 3. A device as recited in claim 2 in which a detent is provided to hold the latching dogs in the r inner retracted position, and manual control means is connected to the detent to control the detent.

4. A device as recited in claim 2 in which a detent is provided to hold the operating cams in their lnner inoperative position, and manual control means 1s connected to the detent to control the detent.

5. A device as recited in claim 2 in which a detent is provided to hold the latching dogs in their inner retracted position, and a detent 1s provided to l 1old the operating cams in their inner inoperative pos1t1on, and manual control means connected to the detents and movable to control both of said detents.

6. A lifting device for handling discs which comprises: a mandrel for insertion in the cylindncal open1ng in a coil of strip material, a plurality of latching dogs pivoted on the mandrel, each latching dog bemg movable from an outer position in which it is adapted to engage under a disc, to an inner inoperative position in which it will pass through the opening in a disc, an operating cam for each latching dog, the operating cam being pivoted on the mandrel and having a vertical leg adapted to engage the inner periphery of a disc, and a horizontal leg connected to the latching dog, each operating cam being movable from an outer position in which it operates the latching dog when contacted by a disc, to an inner position in which it is inoperative.

7. A device as recited in claim 6 in which a detent is provided to hold the latching dogs in their inner retracted position, and manual control means is connected to the detent to control the detent.

8. A device as recited in claim 6 in which a detent is provided to hold the operating cams in their inner inoperative position, and manual control means is connected to the detent to control the detent.

9. A device as recited in claim 6 in which a detent is provided to hold the latching dogs in their inner retracted position, and a detent is provided to hold the operating cams in their inner inoperative position, and manual control means connected to the detents and movable to control both of said detents.

10. A lifting device for handling discs which comprises: a mandrel for insertion in an opening in a disc, a plurality of latching dogs pivoted on the mandrel, each latching dog being in the form of an L-shaped lever with a vertical leg which extends upwardly from the pivot and a horizontal leg which projects inwardly from the pivot, the vertical leg having at its upper end a lip which projects outwardly to engage under a disc, each latching dog being swingable from an outer position in which it is adapted to engage under a disc, to an inner retracted position in which it will pass through an opening in a disc, an operating cam for each latching dog, each operating cam being in the form of an L-shaped lever with a vertical leg projecting downwardly from the pivot, and a horizontal leg projecting inwardly from the pivot, the horizontal leg of the operating cam being connected to the horizontal leg of the latching dog, each operating cam being swingable from an outer position in which it operates to move the latching dog outwardly when contacted by a disc, to an inner poistion in which it is inoperative.

11. A device as recited in claim 10 in which a detent is provided to hold the latching dogs in their inner retracted position, and manual control means to control the detent.

12. A device as recited in claim 10 in which a detent is provided to hold the operating cams in their inner inoperative position, and manual control means movable to control the detent.

13. A device as recited in claim 10 in which a detent is provided to hold the latching dogs in their inner retracted position, and a detent is provided to hold the operating cams in their inner inoperative position, and manual control means movable to control both of said detents.

14. A lifting device for handling discs which comprises: a mandrel for insertion in an opening in a disc, a plurality of latching dogs pivoted on the mandrel, each latching dog being in the form of an L-shaped lever with a vertical leg which extends upwardly from the pivot and a horizontal leg which projects inwardly from the pivot, the vertical leg having at its upper end a lip which projects outwardly to engage under a disc, each latching dog being swingable from an outer position in which it is adapted to engage under a disc, to an inner retracted position in which it will pass through an opening in a disc, an operating cam for each latching dog, each operating cam being in the form of an L-shaped lever with a vertical leg projecting downwardly from the pivot, and a horizontal leg projecting inwardly from the pivot, the horizontal leg of the operating cam being connected to the horizontal leg of the latching dog, each operating cam being swingable from an outer position in which it operates the latching dog when contacted by a disc, to an inner position in which it is inoperative, and a spring-biased connection between the latching dog and the operating cam.

15. A lifting device for handling discs which comprises: a mandrel for insertion in an opening in a disc, a plurality of latching dogs pivoted on the mandrel, each latching dog being movable from an outer position in which it is adapted to engage under a disc, to an inner inoperative position in which it will pass through the opening in a disc, a plurality of guide shoes pivoted on the mandrel, each guide shoe being movable from an outer position in which it is adapted to guide and center the mandrel in an opening, to an inner inoperative position, and a manually movable control cam controlling the latching dogs and the guide shoes.

16. A lifting device for handling discs which comprises: a mandrel for insertion in the cylindrical opening in a coil of strip material, a plurality of latching dogs pivoted .on the mandrel, each latching dog having an outwardly extending lip with a fiat upper surface adapted to engage under a disc, for carrying the disc, and with an inclined lower surface which is adapted to engage the inner edge of a disc to move the latching dog inwardly, an operating cam for each latching dog, each operating cam being in the form of an L-shaped lever with a vertical leg projecting downwardly from the pivot and having an outer curved cam surface, and a horizontal leg projecting inwardly from the pivot, the horizontal leg being connected to the latching dog by a yielding connection, the operating cam being swingable from an outer position in which its cam surface may be contacted by a disc to cause outward movement of the latching dog, to an inner position in which the yielding connection permits the lip of the latching dog to move inwardly when a disc presses against the inclined lower surface of the lip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,410 Rapisarda Jan. 21, 1936 2,160,472 Cizek May 30, 1939 2,628,726 Van Schie Feb. 17, 1953 

